Flared contact structure



F. L. WHITE EIAL 2,397,283v

FLARED CONTACT STRUCTURE 7 Filed Feb. 21, 1956 ATTORNEY FLARED CONTACT STRUCTURE Fredrick L. White and Paul I. Fettinger, Indianapolis,

Ind., assignors to P. R. Mallory & Co., Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application February 21, 1956, Serial No. 566,871

Claims. (Cl. 200-166) This invention relates to contacts, and, more particularly, to contacts used on vibrator reed and side arms.

One of the problems found in vibrators and like devices is that of finding means to prolong the operating life of contacts carried on the vibrator reed side arms. The present invention provides means for increasing the life of the contacts so used by utilizing a novel concaveformed contact with a weld dimple adapted to join the contact to an associated steel supporting member. The contact is constructed so as to afford a flared circumferential area spaced up from the supporting steel member so that the entire contact is joined to the steel member merely by the weld dimple. By this construction, the contact accomplishes an increase in surface area in a manner such as to more than double the surface area of contacts heretofore used. This increase in surface area, moreover, is accomplished without increasing the mass which the mechanism is required to handle.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel contact for an interrupter device in which the efiiciency of the contact used therein is prolonged in operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel contact construction for a vibrating member.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a contact for use in vibratory devices which will prolong the useful life and improve the operational characteristics thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a contact offering long life characteristics and in which the contact area thereof is made as large as possible without excessively increasing the mass.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a contact having a concave contour which allows for the optimum use thereof and which will contribute to the long life characteristics of the associated device in which the contact is employed.

Another object of the present invention is the fabrication of a novel contact of a concave contour which allows for contact mating at the periphery thereof, with inward progression therefrom as contact use takes place.

Further objects will be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the contact of the present invention as mounted on a contact arm for mating with an associated contact;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the contact, per se, illustrated in Fig. 1, as adapted to show the mounted construction thereof;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the contact of the present inventiontaken along line 3-3 of Fig. l, as adapted to illustrate the configuration thereof and to show the concave structure adapted to have a weld dimple placed at the center thereof for weld connecting to a backing member; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the contact as adapted to show the flared extension integrally joined to the main nited States Patent 0 Patented June 25, 1957 tapered'section of concave configuration, which provides greater contact efficiency in the operation thereof.

Generally speaking, the present invention comprises a novel contact which is configured in a manner such that it forms a concavity with a weld dimple placed at the center thereof. A flared surface integrally joined to the central contact portion insures that the erosion or wear will start from the periphery of the contact and that the area of the weld dimple will be the last to erode, so that substantially all the contact material can be used. Further, the weld dimple, which is formed as a further recessed portion in the center of the contact, permits welding directly to the steel supporting member without the aid of a copper backing or brazing, and, thus'eliminates the necessity of removing the usual excess brazing material after welding.

It has been found that with the larger area and thinner contact structure thus provided, the spacing change between contacts, for example, that of a vibrator, is reduced, with the operational life of the device being increased considerably thereby. Moreover, a more constant output voltage is obtained, with less change thereof during the operation of the vibrator.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a contact bearing arm 10 having a main body portion 11 and an interconnecting head portion 12 connected thereto by means of shoulders 13 and 14. 011 face 15 of the arm or backing member there is situated a contact 2% which is novelly constructed so as to afford a contact making surface of such improved characteristics as to enable the operational life of the vibrator to be enhanced through the use of a flared outer surface of the contact when mating with the opposed contacts.

Contact 20, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4, comprises a contact structure having a central weld dimple portion 21, the purpose of which is, as described above, to allow connection to a backing member by welding at said dimple. In the contact, the tapering main portion 22 has an annular side 23 which is slightly inclined from the dimple portion. A flared, flat peripheral edge is adapted to extend outwardly therefrom and is integrally joined thereto. As is seen in Fig. 3, the entire contact structure assumes a concave aspect, with the flared portion of the contact. being situated above and separated from the associated backing member upon which the contact is adapted to be mounted and in a parallel plane therewith.

In the operation of the contact as placed upon a vibrating member, here used as an example, the structural configuration presented by the concave center portion being joined to the flared periphery allows for prolonged operational life inasmuch as the improved configuration insures that the erosion or wear will begin from the outside of the contact and will work its way toward the center of the contact. By this means, substantially maximum operational efficiency is obtained by providing that the weld dimple area will be the last to erode. In comparative tests this was proved in one application where it was found that the instant contact gave over 2,000 hours of useful life, as contrasted with the usual contact giving less than 500 hours of useful life. Thus, it is apparent that a great improvement has been afforded in the contact art by the construction of the present contact invention.

It is therefore deemed that the scope of the invention is not to be restricted in any way, but is rather to be defined by the claims herein.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved, long-life contact for a switch adapted to be mounted on a supporting backing member for engagement with an associated contact, said improved contact comprising a disc having a recessed main portion, a peripheral portion joined to the outside thereof, said portion being flared outwardly therefrom in the parallel plane of a backing member, and means for connecting only a portion of said contact center to said backing member whereby when said contact meets with its associated contact mating will first occur at the peripheral surface and work its way toward the center thereof so that the operational life of said contact is increased.

2. An improved, long-life contact for a switch adapted to be mounted on a supporting backing member for engagement with an associated contact, said improved contact comprising a disc having a substantial main portion thereof recessed to form a concave configuration, a flared peripheral portion joined thereto, said portion being ex- 1 tended therefrom in a plane parallel to that of the backing member and being raised thereabove, and further recessed means for connecting only a portion of said main portion to said backing member whereby when said contact meets with an associated contact mating will first occur at the flared peripheral surface and work its way toward the center thereof so that the operational life of said contact is increased.

3. An improved, long-life contact for a switch adapted to be mounted on a supporting backing member for engagement with an associated contact, said improved contact comprising a disc having a substantial main portion thereof recessed to form a concave configuration, a flared peripheral portion integrally joined thereto, said portion being extended therefrom in a plane parallel to that of the backing member and being raised thereabove, and weld dimple means for connecting only a portion of said contact to said backing member whereby when said contact meets with its associated contact mating will first occur at the peripheral surface and work its way toward the dimple so that the operational life of said contact is increased.

4. An improved, long-life'contact for a switch adapted to be mounted on a supporting backing member for engagement with an associated contact, said improved contact comprising a disc having a central tapered annular side wall, a peripheral portion joined thereto, said portion being extended horizontally therefrom in the parallel plane of the backing member and being raised thereabove, and depressed means in said central portion for connecting only a portion of said contact to said backing member whereby when said contact meets with its associated contact mating erosion will first occur at the peripheral surface thereof and work its way toward the center so that the operational life of said contact is increased.

5. An improved, long-life contact for a switch adapted to be mounted on a supporting backing member for engagement with an associated contact, said improved contact comprising a recessed, concave-shaped disc having its central portion deeper than the outside portion, a peripheral portion joined thereto, said portion being extended therefrom in the parallel plane of the backing member and separate therefrom, and weld means for connecting only a portion of said concave center to said backing member whereby when said contact meets with its associated contact wear will first occur at the peripheral surface and work its way toward the center thereof so that the operational life of said contact is increased.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

